Broken
by Epeefencer
Summary: Harry disappears after a confrontation with Ginny who during a moment of exasperation and irritation snaps at him without realizing the consequences. Will he be found and if so what will be the results of Ginny's unintentional cruelty.
1. Chapter 1

**Broken**

Harry sighed as he saw Ginny enter the Gryffindor common room, wishing he knew how to put his chaotic feelings into words. He knew his life growing up with the Dursley's had left him totally unprepared to deal with anything that had to do with his feelings for the female sex.

With a pained expression, he watched as Ginny called out to some of her year-mates and laughed at something Colin Creevy said to her. She was smiling and chatting animately as she headed over to the table in the corner where she set her bag down, took out her books and began to work on her homework.

He felt his heart squeeze as he wished he could be sitting there with her and be talking to her as easily as others were able to do.

Without noticing the look of concern Hermione was giving him, he rose, and said softly, "I'm heading up to bed." Not waiting or caring if he got a reply.

Hermione watched him go, and her heart ached for her friend. She had pieced enough together to know that Harry didn't know how to go about approaching anyone, let alone Ginny who he was utterly taken with.

She had watched as he had become more and more taken with her, noticing his eyes tracking her whenever she was in the same room with him. She had seen the longing in his look as he tracked her every movement and the pained look that had come over his face, though she was sure he was unaware he was doing so.

Sighing, she glanced at Ron who she knew to be oblivious to what Harry was going through let alone that he was taken with Ron's sister.

Rolling her eyes as she shook her head, she said "Good night, Ron," her voice dripping with her disgust at his total lack of awareness.

"Huh?" Ron replied, his head snapping up. He saw Hermione rising and figured out what she had said. "Good night, Hermione."

As she entered her dorm, Hermione was deep in thought as to how she could help Harry without seeming to push him too much. She knew if she approached him directly he would just get all defensive and clam up tight on her and she'd get nowhere.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny sighed to herself, watching Harry head up to the boy's dorms, wishing that he would notice her as she so desperately wanted. She wasn't sure but she thought that he had been watching her for quite some time now, but she hadn't really caught him at it.

It was just that she had this feeling for the past few weeks that someone was watching her and the only one who seemed to be around every time it had happened was Harry.

For all her Gryffindor courage, she still found it hard to approach Harry, her brother Ron being the main reason. He had been a real prat about any of the boys she had dated and she didn't want that to happen between him and Harry, they had been best mates since their first year.

Glancing up as Harry was going up the stairs, she could have sworn that Harry's eyes had flitted her way before the raven haired boy had disappeared. Taking another deep breath, she let it out slowly, hoping against hope that she hadn't imagined the whole thing.

She noticed Hermione rising and heading up to girl's dorms and made a promise to herself to speak to the bushy haired girl to see if she couldn't get some insight about Harry from her.

Sighing once more, she turned her attention back to her Transfiguration essay, knowing that she had at least another couple hours work before she could quit for the night.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny was having the day from hell and it was driving her to the breaking point. It was as if nothing could go right and she prayed that the day would end quickly. So far she had gotten berated by Snape for messing up her potion, though she knew it had been better than just about anyone else's in her class.

Then came Charms and though she had been trying hard to pay attention to Flitwick, that stupid Ravenclaw girl had asked her to pass a note and though she really didn't want to, she had taken the damn thing before she realized it. Just her luck, that was the moment that Flitwick had turned towards her and caught her passing the note and of course the Ravenclaw denied that she was involved. Luckily it only cost her a few points and not a detention.

Lunch wasn't to bad, though she noticed Harry's eyes flitting her way and though it was something she wanted, she found it a bit irritating that he wouldn't gather up enough nerve to come and talk to her. Sighing she finished hurriedly and made her way to Transfiguration class.

Once again her luck held true to form and she found herself thinking about Harry and not paying attention to class. She was so deep in thought that it took several moments to realize that Professor McGonagall was calling her name.

The disapproving "Really Miss Weasley, where is your mind today?" stung along with costing Gryffindor another five points.

Then as she was leaving class, McGonagall stopped her and lectured her on proper classroom decorum, just adding to the "wonderful" day she was having. Colin's knowing smirk didn't help in the slightest either.

She threw him a glare that didn't have the desired effect, he just smiled all the more as they headed back to the common room.

Ginny managed to ignore everything else and headed right up to her dorm and flopped on her bed, groaning in frustration over the day she was having. Shaking her head, she silently hoped that her evening would go better.

Joining her dorm mates she headed down to dinner and as soon as she got to the common room, she felt someone watching her. Letting her eyes scan the room, she noticed Harry's eyes following her every move. With the way her day was going, she felt her anger rising. Gritting her teeth, she shook her head and went to dinner.

All through dinner, she could feel Harry watching her, and she could see him look away whenever she looked his way, further making her ire raise.

Things came to a head that evening, she had gone to the library to study, wanting to stay out of the common room, just to give herself a break from Harry's constant scrutiny.

Her study time went well, and she felt her anger was somewhat under control as she headed back to the common room. She had just left Luna and a couple of others and was walking down a deserted corridor when a hand came from nowhere and grasped her arm.

Appearing from seemingly nowhere was Harry and he had a hold of her arm.

Ginny's tenuous hold on her temper snapped and she turned to Harry. "What are you some kind of freak?" she yelled. "Creeping up on me like that!"

Barely noticing, she saw Harry recoil in horror, removing his hand from her arm as if he had been burnt.

Ginny turned slightly, and closed her eyes, fighting hard to get her temper under control. She knew it wasn't really Harry's fault, but just the accumulation of everything she had gone through during the day. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Harry and said, "I'm sorry . . . ." but as her eyes opened, to her surprise, Harry had disappeared.

Sighing in frustration, she turned and headed back toward the common room, vowing to talk to Harry as soon as she could and explain to him that she hadn't meant to yell at him.

**XX HP + GW XX**

The word _**"**FREAK!**" **_kept echoing through Harry's mind. Bringing all the suppressed abuse he had suffered from his relatives racing through his brain. Stumbling back from her, he swung his Invisibility Cloak over himself and he turned and fled.

He wasn't even aware of his surroundings as he made his way running through the halls, tears streaming down his face as his mind was taken over by the horrors that he had lived.

His Aunt's and his Uncle's words reverberating. "You're a Freak boy!" "No one will ever love someone like you!" "FREAK!" "You're a freak!"

Harry was barely aware as he stumbled up some little used stairs, leading out on to one of the lesser towers of the school. Falling down in one of the corners, he finally succumbed to the demons in his mind, sitting huddled under his cloak, lost in a world of his own.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron awoke Friday morning and groaned as he stretched, grabbing his pillow and throwing it at Harry's bed to awaken him as he always did if Harry hadn't awoken him.

"Get up you git," he called out as he grabbed his towel and headed for the showers.

As he finished up, Ron was surprised that Harry hadn't showed up as Dean, Seamus and Neville had to get ready for the day. Shaking his head he headed back out to the dorm wondering why Harry would be having such a lay in, hoping his best mate wasn't sick.

To his surprise, Harry's bed was empty, showing no sign that it had been slept in. He knew Harry hadn't been there because his own pillow rested where he had thrown it to wake Harry up. Dressing hurriedly he headed down to the common room to see if anyone had seen Harry.

As he descended the stairs he swung his head toward the couches in front of the fire where they always met before heading down to breakfast but Hermione was the only one sitting there.

She looked questioningly as he came over. "Where's Harry?" she asked with concern.

Ron just shrugged, "I don't know," he replied softly, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that Harry was missing. They made there way to breakfast, hoping that he would show up there, but when it came time to leave for class he still hadn't shown up.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Everyone sat in the Gryffindor common room, having been ordered there after dinner by Professor McGonagall.

Ginny looked around and took in who was there, the only ones missing seemed to be Ron, Hermione and Harry. She sighed and wondered what they had gotten up to now.

The rest of the Gryffindors seemed restless, wanting to get on with their evenings, some even grumbling about the missing three and what they could have done that all the Gryffindors needed to be called together.

Fortunately their wait wasn't long as the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall came in, preceded by a very worried looking Ron and Hermione.

As Ginny was taking that in, her thoughts were brought back to focus by McGonagall who cleared her throat, silencing the room.

"Has anyone seen Mr. Potter recently?" the Professor asked.

Everyone looked at one another, and low talking ranged around the room.

Several people said how they had seen him at lunch and dinner the previous day and Ginny felt her heart squeeze as she realized that she had probably seen him last.

"Professor," she said softly. "I saw him right before curfew last night."

Ginny flinched as the Professor's gaze landed on her, seemingly piercing right through her, holding her gaze for several moments before she looked around the room and said "Did anyone see him after that?"

When no one spoke, McGonagall turned her attention back to Ginny and said "Please come with me Miss Weasley."

As Ginny went to join her, the Professor said, "The rest of you are dismissed."

Ginny was surprised at the pace that their head of house set as they made their way to her office and she realized there was a sense of urgency to the Professor's actions.

For the first time, Ginny felt afraid for Harry, the hurt look that had flashed over his face when she had snapped at him coming into focus for the first time. Shaking her head, she chided herself for not recalling it sooner, somehow she knew she had done something terrible without realizing it.

The Professor had Ginny sit down and quickly took her seat, facing her she got right to the point. "Please tell me when and where you last saw Harry?" she asked.

Though McGonagall tried to sound calm, Ginny could hear the sense of urgency that underlay the request.

"I was coming back from the Library when Harry startled me," Ginny said softly, not being able to meet the Professor's eyes.

When Ginny paused, McGonagall pressed her for more information, "Then what, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny closed her eyes and cringed, "I yelled at him," she replied. "See, I'd been having a bad day and . . ."

McGonagall cut her off, "What did you say to him?"

"I yelled at him asking was he some kind of a freak for the way he was acting," Ginny said in a whisper.

Ginny heard McGonagall's sharp intake of breath, "Oh Ginny, you didn't."

Ginny's first reaction was to try and justify her reaction, but even as the thought's formed in her mind, she let them die. Something in McGonagall's voice, and the use of her first name tore at her heart and she realized she had done something to hurt Harry.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she shut her eyes, feeling her heart squeeze tight.

Instead of being reprimanded, she felt the Professor's hand gently pat hers.

"Can you show me where you were?" the Professor asked.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ron and Hermione sat waiting by the fireplace, worried about Harry and wondering what Ginny could tell them about his disappearance.

They didn't need to wait long, when Ginny came back into the common room, her head down and a very concerned look upon her face.

It appeared that she was going to go right past them when Ron sprang up. "Ginny!" he yelled at his sister.

Ginny glanced at her brother and then hurried past him, heading right up to her dorm.

Hermione noticed the forlorn look on Ginny's face and she rose to follow. "Let me talk to her," she said to Ron.

Ron threw up his hands and with an exasperated look he sat back down. "Fine," he said in disgust. "Just let me know what's going on, if you don't mind."

Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't comment, instead she headed off after Ginny. She found her sitting on the edge of her bed, head down and looking very troubled.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"It's all my fault," Ginny whispered.

"How do you come to that conclusion?" Hermione asked as she came over and sat down next to Ginny.

Ginny glanced at Hermione several times, ashamed at what she had learned from McGonagall.

"I, I, . . well see, I yelled at Harry when he startled me," Ginny began. When Hermione went to say something, Ginny cut her off. "I called him a freak," she said lowly.

Hermione's shoulders sagged, "Oh Ginny, you didn't." she said in despair.

"I know," Ginny responded, "at least now. McGonagall told me some about Harry's childhood and then it made sense."

Hermione nodded, deciding not to further chastise the disheartened young red-head.

For the next hour Ginny and Hermione sat and discussed Harry's childhood and what they surmised about his life growing up at the Dursley's. In the end, Hermione went to fill Ron in on what had happened, leaving a spent Ginny, curled up on her bed.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Saturday rolled into Sunday and though the staff, ghosts and other residents of Hogwarts had all been told to look for Harry, he couldn't be found.

Dumbledore's instruments could only tell him that Harry was still within the confines of Hogwarts but could not pinpoint him any further than that.

He was getting constant updates from the denizens of the Castle but to no avail, Harry remained missing.

Sighing to himself, he turned his attention back to the mountain of parchments on his desk and though he tried to concentrate on them, he found his attention kept going back to the poor missing boy and not for the first time he wondered if he had been mistaken to keep sending him back to his relatives every summer.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Sunday morning dawned bright but cold and Ginny was beside herself with guilt. She sighed as she walked up the narrow staircase, her mind more on her thoughts of Harry than where she was actually going. She let herself out on the top of the tower and stared off into the distance, not really seeing the scenery, lost in her own thoughts.

Shaking her head, she tried hard to get a grip on her chaotic thoughts. "_Why is it so hard?" _she asked herself.

"_Did I really cause Harry to disappear? Was it what I said?" _ She was beside herself in grief, and that grief turned to anger at herself for not realizing just how damaged and fragile Harry really was.

"_I'm to blame," _ she thought. "_I need to find him and make it up to him some way. How could I be so stupid!" _she chided herself.

She got no answer other than the chill wind blowing her hair around and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trying to keep as warm as possible. She didn't feel ready to head back to the Gryffindor common room just yet.

Ginny thought hard about what Hermione and McGonagall had both said. Why hadn't she seen how horribly his relatives had treated him. She was supposed to be the one who was so enamoured with the boy, how could she have missed it?

Time slipped by without notice as Ginny went over everything she could remember about Harry and his life as she knew it. Now in hindsight it was all there to see, the lack of outwardly expressing his feelings, his awkwardness with others, especially females. How he never initiated any form of physical contact, how he'd hardly ever meet ones eyes when speaking.

"Oh, Harry," she cried out softly. "Why was I so blind?" she said, a tear forming, slowly making it's way down her check.

The wind swirled around her making her shiver violently and she heard a low moaning sound she took to be the wind. Ginny shook herself and turned towards the door, wanting nothing more than to get back in front of the fire to warm herself after standing out in the cold for almost the whole afternoon.

Just as she reached for the door handle, she heard another soft moaning sound. Only this time the wind had dropped and she knew it hadn't been making the sound.

Ginny turned and looked around the confines of the top of the tower, wondering if her ears had played tricks on her.

Then she noticed something by the back edge, tucked in the lengthening shadow of the roof top, there was a small . . . something, that seemed to be moving or shaking.

Drawing her wand she crept closer to see what it was. At first she couldn't make out what her eyes were resting on and it wasn't till she almost right on top of it that she realized that it was the edge of a shoe, and something seemed to be rippling over it, making it appear and partially disappear.

Her mind took a moment and then she realized that the only thing that could be doing that was if something was making it disappear, something like Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

Ginny darted the last few feet and dropped to her knees, gently reaching out and grasping at the spot where the partial shoe was. Though it seemed like she was grasping nothing, her fingers felt the smooth silkiness of cloth. She lifted it up and a body slowly came into view.

There curled up, shivering so violently his body was actually bouncing on the hard cold surface of the tower, was Harry.

Ginny couldn't believe her eyes as she took in the sight of him. His skin was literally blue and his normally vibrant green eyes looked frosted and dull. His teeth were chattering so loudly she could hear them over the wind.

"Harry!" she called out in shock.

If she was expecting a response, she was disappointed as he lay there unresponsive to her entreaty.

Ginny looked around wildly, wondering how she was going to get help when Harry's body gave out a deep rattling breath, his body slumping, and it fell completely still. It took just a moment for her to realize that Harry had ceased breathing.

Ginny's eyes widened in shock and she was frozen in place for a moment, her breath coming in sharp rasps. Fighting the sense of panic, Ginny knew she had just moments or Harry would be lost forever.

"Oh, please!" she pleaded softly, "Oh please, no."

She rolled him flat and tore at his robes and shirt, opening them up so she could get to his chest. Closing her eyes and concentrating with all of her might, she laid her hands on the cold still form before her.

"Ego tribuo vos meus vita" she cried out desperately.

Ginny felt the magic build within her and she became aware of a feeling of warmth come to the cold flesh that laid beneath her hands. Unseen by her a brilliant blue light enveloped her, flowing down her arms and through her hands into Harry's body. She was dimly cognizant of Harry's chest rising and she smiled briefly, then blackness took her.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Professor McGonagall entered the Gryffindor common room, looking for Ginny Weasley, as far as she could determine, she had been the last to see Harry. No one else had reported seeing him in the last two days and she hoped that the young red-head might be able to give her something more to go on.

Sighing, she looked around the room, hoping to spot the young Gryffindor amongst the assembled students.

"Has anyone seen Miss Weasley?" she called out.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, glanced around before looking at one another.

"Um, I saw her just after lunch," Colin Creevy said hesitantly.

"Do you know where she went?" the Professor asked.

Colin look uncomfortable, "Not really, Professor," he replied.

When he saw the annoyed look on her face he added apologetically, "She said she needed to think about some things and headed off." He winced when he watched McGonagall's lips narrow into a sharp line and she breathed out in displeasure.

"All I know is that when she goes off to think, I'm pretty sure she heads to one of the towers. Her hair is usually wind blown when she comes back," the slight young boy said softly.

"Thank you Mr. Creevy," the staid Professor replied before spinning on her heel and stalking out of the room.

Colin sighed in relief and collapsed back into his chair, glad he was no longer the object of their stern professor's attention.

**XX HP + GW XX**

Ginny awoke and looked around her, puzzled at where she was. Nothing look familiar and it was obvious to her that she wasn't at Hogwarts any longer.

The terrain was a dull, broken landscape, with a few stunted bushes and trees being the only things that broke the expanse of her surroundings. The sky was an ugly slate greyish colour, the low pressing clouds turning and tumbling slowly making everything take on a muted cast.

With a frown, Ginny began to walk forward, feeling compelled to move for some inexplicable reason. She hadn't been walking for very long when she noticed something before her in the distance, its subtle motion drawing her eyes.

As she walked closer she shook her head, not being able to make out what it was at first. It wasn't till she was almost to it when she figured out is was a small figure, huddled under a tattered, threadbare blanket.

Pulling up short, she realized the person was shaking and trying to cover themselves up as if they didn't want to be noticed.

"Excuse me," Ginny said softly, not wanting to startle the person.

Ginny was surprised as the form jerked at her words as if they had been struck, huddling tighter under the blanket in what Ginny could tell was fear.

"I won't hurt you," Ginny said kindly, keeping her voice soft and non-threatening.

"Stay away," said a small voice, as the figure pulled the remnants of the blanket still tighter.

Ginny pulled up short, about five feet from the huddled boy, his voice telling her that he was male. Thinking hard, Ginny hunched down, sitting on her heels, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. "My name is Ginny. What's yours?" she asked softly.

"Go away," the boy said, his voice tinged with his fear.

Ginny watched in frustration as the boy turned his back to her and scooted a little farther from her. Taking a deep breath, she carefully made her way around till she was facing the youth. Once again she sat on her heals so that she was down at his level.

"I promise I won't hurt you," she all but whispered, her heart going out to the frightened boy.

The boy whimpered and huddled tighter into himself.

Slowly she watched as the boys head came up and there peeking out of the tattered blanket that he had tightly wrapped around himself were two of the most amazing eyes she had ever seen.

Ginny stared, wide-eyed in shock. For staring back at her were the emerald eyes she knew belonged to none other than Harry Potter.

**XX HP + GW XX**

**A/N: **

Ego tribuo vos meus vita – I give you my life


	2. Chapter 2

**Broken**

**Chapter 2**

Minerva McGonagall hurried from the Gryffindor common room and called Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost to her.

"Search all the towers as fast as you can," she told the spirit.

"Yes, Professor," Nick replied, as he turned and hurried away.

She had hardly gotten back to her office when Nick returned. "The Gray Lady says that she has found the two missing students on the top of the smaller of the East Towers.

Minerva sprung to her feet and as she ran out the door she said to the following ghost, "Alert Madam Pomfrey at once."

"Yes, Professor," Nick replied, as the Professor disappeared down a nearby staircase.

Nick sighed and headed off toward the Hospital wing, hoping that the castle wasn't about to gain any more resident ghosts.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny sat and looked at Harry carefully. He seemed so much younger than she knew him to be. The small frail form looked more like a child of 5 or 6 to her, but then again, Harry had always seemed smaller and younger than his true age.

"Harry," she said softy.

The green eyes narrowed and looked at her hostilely. "Who's that?" the small voice asked harshly.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said in shock. "What's your name?" she asked again.

The boy recoiled from her again, "Name?" he asked.

"Yes, what do they call you?"

The boy looked very sad, "Then my name must be either Boy or Freak, cause that's the two things they call me."

Ginny felt her heart break even further and she knew for certain now that she had inadvertently sent Harry off and had very nearly cost him his life. It was only by the grace of God that she had known the old spell of Ancient Magic that had sent part of her life force to save him.

Though there had been many warnings and prohibitions about the use of the ancient spells, she had not hesitated for an instant when it came to saving Harry.

Ginny smiled her best smile and said to the small boy, "Well, I'm pretty sure that your name isn't Boy or Freak, so if you don't mind, is it okay if I call you Harry?"

The boy sat considering her request for several moments and then he nodded slightly, "Okay," he said softly. "I like the sound of Harry better than either of the other two."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, she'd gotten past one hurdle, now all she needed to do was get past some more and maybe, just maybe she'd find out where they were and how to get them back to Hogwarts.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Minerva frantically climbed the rickety stairs to the top of the tower and was surprised to find the Gray Lady still standing there, staring toward the back of the tower.

She glanced in the direction where the ghost was looking and saw Ginny's body slumped over another. It wasn't till she approached closer that she could see that it was the missing Harry.

As she reached towards the couple, the Gray Lady spoke, "Take great care, there is magic of the most potente kind at work between them."

Minerva chanced a glance at the Ghost who just looked at her enigmatically before turning and floating away, back into the castle.

As much as she wished to get them back into the warmth of the castle quickly, the Gray Lady's warning forced her to wait for Poppy before moving them.

Though to Minerva it seemed an eternity, Poppy Pomfrey was there in a few moments. Minerva told her what the Gray Lady had said, causing Poppy to give her a questioning look. She then drew her wand and cast several spells over the prostrate body of Ginny Weasley.

Minerva was surprised when the matron paused, a questioning look upon her face.

She turned and looked at her colleague and said, "I'm not quite sure what is going on here. I suggest moving them exactly the way they are till we can get a better sense of what has happened."

As Poppy conjured a stretcher, Minerva carefully levitated the unconscious couple onto it, then she carefully levitated the stretcher and followed the matron to the Hospital Wing.

Poppy cast several more spells and shook her head. "I'm going to need to do some research to figure out what is going on," she said to Minerva.

"Are they okay?" the Gryffindor Head-of-House asked.

"Well, as far as I can determine they are in no immediate physical danger, but with them together the way they are that is all I can tell you for the moment," Poppy replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really must get to work. Maybe Albus can help shed some light on things when he gets here."

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny sat and silently watched Harry for a while, not quite sure on how to proceed. Since she had given him his name, Harry had pretty much ignored her, staying tucked up in his tattered blanket and humming softly to himself.

She recognized the tune as an old lullaby that her mother use to sing to her as a child. Ginny smiled and softly began to sing along to Harry's humming.

Hush, bonnie, dinna greit;  
Moder will rocke her sweete,-  
Balow, my boy!  
When that his toile ben done,  
Daddie will come anone,-  
Hush thee, my lyttel one;  
Balow, my boy!

Gin thou dost sleepe, perchaunce  
Fayries will come to daunce,-  
Balow, my boy!  
Oft hath thy moder seene  
Moonlight and mirkland queene  
Daunce on thy slumbering een,-  
Balow, my boy!

Then droned a bomblebee  
Saftly this songe to thee:  
'Balow, my boy!'  
And a wee heather bell,  
Pluckt from a fayry dell,  
Chimed thee this rune hersell:  
'Balow, my boy!'

Soe, bonnie, dinna greit;  
Moder doth rock her sweete,-  
Balow, my boy!  
Give mee thy lyttel hand,  
Moder will hold it and  
Lead thee to balow land,-  
Balow, my boy!

As soon as she had begun, Harry faltered for a moment in his humming, but as Ginny continued to sing, he picked right back up and hummed along with her.

When she finished she noticed he had tears in his eyes.

"That was nice," he whispered. "My mum use to sing that to me, but I could never remember the words."

"My mum use to sing it to me too," Ginny replied with a soft smile.

Harry nudged over a little closer, but still maintained a gap between them. "Do you know any more songs," he asked shyly.

Ginny's smile widened, "Okay, How about this one?"

Rock-a-bye baby  
On the tree top,  
When the wind blows  
The cradle will rock,  
When the bough breaks  
The cradle will fall and  
Down will come baby,  
Cradle and all.

Ginny delighted in the smile that came across Harry's face, it lit up and his eyes shined with joy looking more like the Harry she knew.

" I like that one," he said softly.

"So do I," Ginny agreed.

"Do you know the Star song?" Harry asked.

Ginny smiled at him. "Do you mean Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star?"

Harry smiled and nodded, "Yeah, that's the one.

Ginny started to sing;

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,  
How I wonder what you are.  
Up above the world so high,  
Like a diamond in the sky.  
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,  
How I wonder what you are!

When the blazing sun is gone,  
When there's nothing he shines upon,  
Then you show your little light,  
Twinkle, twinkle, through the night.  
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,  
How I wonder what you are!

In the dark blue sky so deep  
Through my curtains often peep  
For you never close your eyes  
Til the morning sun does rise  
Twinkle, twinkle, little star  
How I wonder what you are

Twinkle, twinkle, little star  
How I wonder what you are

Ginny saw Harry relax even more, a contented look enveloping him.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Madam Pomfrey was at a loss about what seemed to be happening between Harry and Ginny. Somehow their life forces seemed to be . . . off, was the only way she could describe it.

Without separating them she couldn't quite get a clear reading of either, but the total combined was lower than she expected and hoped for. All she could do for now was monitor the two of them and hope that once Albus showed up, he could shed more light on the situation.

She had placed the two patients on a bed and placed both physical and magical privacy screens around them. She didn't want the fact known that she had two students in one bed.

Poppy looked at the couple more closely now that she had them settled in the Hospital Wing and it only added to her puzzlement. Ginny looked as if she were almost asleep, where Harry looked to be in pain.

Then as she looked closer, she thought, "_not pain, he looks afraid," _and she wondered what he could be afraid of.

The thought then hit her that besides the strange circumstances that they were found in that Harry had been missing for more than two days, close to three and probably hadn't eaten in all that time.

She hurriedly fetched some nutrient potions and gently poured them down his throat. Once that was done she was satisfied that he wouldn't succumb to starvation.

With her patients temporarily taken care of, she let her thoughts turn back to what the Gray Lady had said and wondered what it all meant.

She was broken out of her reverie by the arrival of Professor McGonagall.

"Albus will be here shortly," she informed the Matron.

"Good, because something seems to be slightly off and I'm worried about what the Gray Lady said.

Minerva nodded in agreement. "I know, her choice of words made me wonder too."

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

To Ginny, the change in Harry was startling. He was finally relaxing with her and accepting of her presence. He was actually sitting closer to her and talking more animately with her too.

Slowly she was gaining his trust and she hoped that it would continue for she was sure that somehow that was the key to getting them out of where they currently were, wherever that truly was.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she asked "Do you know where we are?"

Harry looked at her for a moment and then said "We are in my special place."

"Your special place?" she asked, hoping for more information.

Harry sighed, "Yeah, I come here whenever someone does something to hurt me," he explained sadly.

"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered softly, mainly to herself.

Harry just shrugged, having heard her though not realizing why she was saying it. "It's okay," he said, reaching out and touching her arm. The first physical contact between them.

Ginny smiled wanly at him, covering his hand with her own.

Harry glanced down at her hand on his and his look darkened somewhat, though he said nothing.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

Suddenly Harry pulled his hand away. "You're one of them, aren't you?" he asked, looking at her accusingly.

Ginny felt her eyes tearing up, "I admit that I called you a freak, but I didn't mean it like your aunt, uncle and cousin did."

Harry looked at her sceptically but thankfully to Ginny he didn't move further away or close down again.

"I'm truly sorry for what I said," Ginny said remorsefully, a couple of tears leaking from her eyes and trailing down her cheeks.

"Are you?" Harry asked softly.

"Yes, I truly am," Ginny said fervently.

"Humph," was Harry's disgruntled reply. "Well see."

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Albus Dumbledore was very concerned about what he had heard about the condition of Harry and Ginny. The report of what the Gray Lady had said left him wondering just what had happened and what could be done, if anything.

He made his way up to the tower where the couple had been found and silently cast several spells, revealing to him the magic that had been cast most recently.

What was revealed to him was a utter and total surprise. A magic so ancient that it was from the founding of magic itself. Nothing had prepared him for finding out that Miss Weasley had given a part of herself to keep Harry alive and he shuddered at the implications.

He would have to check to see if his assumptions were correct and he headed back to his office to research in the oldest of his books in his vast library.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny didn't think it would be possible, but obviously she had fallen asleep and so apparently had Harry because Ginny found him curled up against her side, sleeping peacefully.

Ginny felt her heart breaking as she looked down at the small broken boy. His sallow complexion standing out against the colour of her robes. His breathing was shallow and he looked so fragile.

"Oh, Harry," she whispered, "how can I fix this"

Though she had barely spoken out loud, Harry stirred. At first he just squirmed a little, but then he bolted upright and pulled away from her in a panic. His eyes wild, looking quite frightened.

Ginny fought her first instinct to hug him and remained very still, letting Harry get his bearings. Breathing heavily, he stared at Ginny intensely.

Softly, Ginny said, "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

Ginny watched as Harry's breathing returned to normal and he looked at her sheepishly. He then dropped his gaze and said quietly, "Y-you're warm t-to sleep with."

"Are you cold?" Ginny asked, keeping her voice soft and calm.

Shyly Harry nodded his head.

Ginny lifted her arm, saying, "Well if you want to snuggle some more, I promise I won't do anything."

Harry stared at her for a moment, obviously thinking hard about Ginny's offer and just when she thought he was going to decline, he slowly scooted over and tentatively snuggled into her side.

Ginny slowly lowered her arm, letting her cloak wrap gently around Harry. She felt him tense up, but when she remained motionless he slowly relaxed.

They sat with Harry's head resting on her chest, below her shoulder for several minutes. Ginny was at a loss as what to do at the moment. It appeared that they had made a small break through but she was no closer to coming up with a solution to getting them out of wherever they were.

Ginny felt Harry take in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He then whispered, "This is really nice." Then after a moment added, "No one has ever done something like this for me before."

Ginny heard the pain and longing in his voice and it brought a wan smile to her face. "I'm glad that I can do this for you then," she replied softly.

Harry didn't reply but Ginny felt him snuggle a little closer into her side and let out a soft sigh.

As they sat there is silence Ginny looked around, taking in the scene before her. To her, though it was still quite grey, things seemed a bit brighter than she remembered. She seemed to be able to see more of her surroundings than she remembered previously.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Dumbledore slowly closed the ancient tome before him, deep in thought as to what he had just read. Though the text hadn't given him the answers he had wanted, it had at least given him some avenues to explore.

Knowing that he wouldn't get any more answers where he was, he rose and headed for the Hospital Wing.

As he walked his mind was turning over what he suspected but only by checking on the two who were now resting together would he find out the truth.

The aged Headmaster arrived at the doors to the Hospital Wing and he quickly entered. He saw Madam Pomfrey standing beside the bed of the two he was concerned about. She was waving her wand over the pair, shaking her head at what she was finding.

"Anything new?" he asked.

The Matron turned and looked at him. "I am still befuddled by what I am finding," she replied, her confusion evident.

"And what might that be?" Albus asked.

Poppy Pomfrey sighed, "As strange as it may sound, I can only find one life force, though they are both obviously alive."

If she thought her revelation would shock the Headmaster, she was mistaken. Though he frowned slightly, he let out a sigh and said, "I rather expected that."

"You did?" she stated in surprise.

Nodding, Albus replied somewhat despondently, "Yes. It seems that young Miss Weasley gave of herself to save Mr. Potter's life."

Poppy glanced from the Headmaster to they pair on the bed before her, a sad look upon her face. "Why would she do such a thing?" she asked.

"From what I surmised from Minerva's conversation with Miss Weasley she felt responsible for Mr. Potter's disappearance. It is my guess that she found him in a state near death and did what she felt necessary to save his life."

Poppy sighed and shook her head. "What are the ramifications of what she has done?" she asked softly.

"That remains to be seen," the Headmaster replied.

"Can they be separated?" Poppy asked.

"I would advise against for the moment," Albus said. "Until we can determine more about what has been done and what the ramifications are, I believe it is wiser to err on the side of caution."

Sighing, Poppy just nodded and tucked the blankets more firmly around her charges, wondering what would become of the two young teens before her.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny was lost in her own thoughts when suddenly Harry sat up and looked at her expectantly. His face shone with a happiness she had never seen on the young boy before.

"Would you go for a walk with me?" he asked excitedly.

Surprised at the sudden change of demeanour, Ginny readily agreed.

Harry bound up and when Ginny stood, he grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. At first Ginny didn't know where he was taking her but then she noticed a strange assembly of objects in the near distance.

At first she couldn't make out what was there but as they got closer she could see the decrepit remains of a playground come into focus. Everything was rusted, bent and broken. The remains of see-saws, a merry-go-round and swings could be seen.

Harry pulled her towards the swing-set and Ginny saw that at one time there had been six swings. It wasn't until they were right up to them that she saw that though most were broken and unusable, there was still one that could be used.

Harry dropped her hand and ran towards the one remaining swing and hopped on. He turned towards her and with a smile he said "Can you push me?"

Ginny smiled at Harry and with memories of her younger self asking her brother Bill to do the exact same thing, she took her place behind Harry and began to push him.

After several strong pushes, she let him swing by catching the smile on his face as he passed.

"Higher!" he yelled.

Smiling again at the memory of her own entreaties she gave him another shove as he came to her again.

Her heart soared with the young boy as he laughed for the first time that she had heard.

"Higher, higher," he called again.

Ginny couldn't help but laugh at the pure unadulterated joy that poured off Harry as he swung higher and higher into the sky.

She wasn't sure how long she had been pushing him but just as she began to tire, Harry began to drag his feet as he passed the bottom and slowly he brought himself to a stop.

Ginny was puzzled for a moment, she was sure when they had started that Harry's feet hadn't touched the ground but as she tried to picture him before, she noticed him just sitting on the swing, eyes closed with a smile on his face.

"That was fun," Harry said softly, looking right into Ginny's eyes. "I've never been able to do that before."

Ginny smiled softly back at him. "I'm glad I could help then," she replied.

Harry nodded at her, the smile still on his face. "It felt like I was flying," he said softly.

Ginny could only smile back, knowing just how much Harry loved to fly.

Harry stood and Ginny was now sure that he was slightly taller than he had been before and though she wasn't 100 percent sure, she thought just maybe she had made some progress in getting them home.

Harry extended his hand to her but didn't reach all the way, he looked at he expectantly, waiting to see what she would do.

Ginny smiled and reach out and took his hand. He smiled at her and started off, away from the direction they had come.

"Come on," he said. "I want to show you something."

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

In public Albus remained upbeat, but here in the privacy of his office he let the worry about the two young Gryffindors wash over him. Taking off his glasses he tiredly rubbed his temples hoping to ease his aching head.

It had been just over twenty-four hours since Harry and Ginny had been found and there had been no change in their condition. In all his years as Headmaster he had never been so concerned for any of his students.

As powerful and knowledgeable of a wizard that he was, he was still unable to determine what the outcome of Ginny's sacrifice would entail. Nothing that he could find out about the ancient magic that she had invoked gave him any answers.

The fact that Poppy could only find one life source troubled him greatly. With everything that Harry had been through this seemed to just one more thing to add to his burden.

Sighing once more, he turned to the large stack of parchments on his desk and began to work through them, though his mind kept drifting back to the young couple up in the Hospital Wing.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

**A/N: A bit shorter than I like but at least I've been able to get something written. I apologize for the delay. RL keeps getting in the way.**

**As always, reviews are most heartedly appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Broken**

**Chapter 3**

At first Ginny struggled to keep up with Harry, he was pulling her so hard but after a few moments he slowed down, letting Ginny regain her sense of balance and catch up to him completely.

Though he had been very enthusiastic at first, as they continued to walk at a much more leisurely pace, he slowly turned more sedate.

Ginny was now walking at his side, looking sideways at him as they walked. She was somewhat surprised that he still had a hold of her hand and she wondered if he was even aware that he still did so.

She heard him sigh deeply and she wondered what he was thinking about. Almost as if he had read her mind, he looked over at her and held her gaze.

Ginny had the feeling that he was somehow judging her and a small shiver ran up and down her spine. She silently prayed that she would pass his judgement.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Poppy Pomfrey stared down at her two charges and sighed. In all her years as a healer she had never been so frustrated at her lack of ability to help those under her care.

Shaking her head slightly, she made a notation in the chart she held in her hands. She could tell there had been a change in the two laying before her but if questioned she would have had a a hard time in verbalizing exactly what the change was.

As she studied them closely, the first thing that leapt to her mind was that though Harry seemed much the same, the look on his face had softened somewhat.

The other thing that she noticed was the subtle change in Ginny. It had taken her a while to figure it out but it was fairly obvious to her now that the young witch was looking a little more relaxed. As if some deep seated tension had been somewhat abated. She still wasn't totally relaxed but there was a definite change, as subtle as it was.

She was still looking intensely at the couple when she heard someone approach her.

"Any change?" Dumbledore asked softly.

Poppy closed the chart she held in her hands and turned to the Headmaster. "Let's go into my office," she said softly.

Albus nodded and motioned for the Matron to proceed him. Once inside, they sat down. Poppy looking quite thoughtful for a moment before she looked at the Headmaster and said, "Tea?"

"That would be lovely," he replied.

Within moments a house elf appeared and set a tray with the requisite pot of tea, two cups and a plate of biscuits.

Poppy did the honours, pouring the tea and offering the plate of biscuits.

Albus sensed that Poppy was stalling a little and assumed that she wanted to get her thoughts in order before proceeding.

After they both had sipped their tea and munched on a biscuit Poppy sighed and looked Albus in the eye.

"There have been some subtle changes but what they mean I'm not sure of," Poppy said.

Albus nodded and waited for her to continue.

"It took me a while but I've noticed a relaxation in Miss Weasley's demeanour, though still quite tense, it isn't as strong as when she first arrived here," the Matron said.

"Then there is Mr Potter. When he first arrived his facial expression was one of great fear," she said softly.

Albus' one eyebrow shot up and he gave her a questioning look.

Poppy just gave him a wan smile and shrugged. "Without being able to speak to them, I can only go on by what I observe and my gut feelings."

Albus nodded once again, his mind furiously working at the implications that Poppy's observations had brought.

"Have you been able to find out anything?" Poppy asked, sounding hopeful.

Albus sighed, "I'm afraid not," he replied, his disappointment obvious.

"From the fact that Molly hasn't made an appearance I'm assuming that you haven't notified the Weasley's yet," Poppy said with a tinge of disapproval in her voice.

Albus nodded, a touch of melancholy evident in his demeanour. "You are correct, but I fear that I can not delay in that any further."

Giving the Matron a sympathetic look he said "I'll endeavour to dissuade her from barging in and disrupting everything."

Poppy shot him an appreciative look and with a small smile she said "Thank you Albus, that will be greatly appreciated." Then with a thoughtful look she added, "Do you think we should set up some kind of protective ward to keep Molly from interfering with Harry and Ginny?"

With a resigned sigh Albus nodded and said, "That probably would be a wise thing to do."

Finishing the last of his tea, Albus stood and straightened his robes and with a look of resignation on his face he said "Well, I'd best get that letter to Molly and Arthur done. I'll try to give you a warning when Molly gets here, but you know how she can be, so I give you no guarantees."

Poppy gave a short laugh and with a knowing smile she replied "I know all too well about her and her reactions. I'll be as prepared as I can be."

Albus smiled at her. With the number of times that all of her sons had spent here in the Hospital Wing over the years, they were both well acquainted with Molly and her infamous tendency to over-react.

With a nod of his head, he turned and left to write the letter leaving Poppy to prepare for the whirlwind that was named Molly Weasley.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Harry and Ginny had been walking for a while. Harry had seemed to withdraw into himself but to Ginny it was apparent that he was thinking hard about something. Not wishing to intrude or interrupt, she remained quiet.

Every now and then, Ginny noticed that Harry would glance at her and she felt like she had before that he was evaluating her in some way. She knew she needed to be patient and let Harry have his space so she remained quiet but did give him small encouraging smiles when he looked at her.

Since Harry seemed preoccupied, Ginny took the opportunity to look at their surroundings. Though the sky didn't seem quite as foreboding as when she had first arrived, it was still a slate grey, lending an oppressive air to the place.

The terrain hadn't changed appreciatively from before either. Everything seemed muted, the grey light accentuating the dreariness of the place. It was almost like they were in a world of greys, little or no colour to be found anywhere.

They had long ago left the battered ruins of the playground behind and where they now walked was about as featureless as one could imagine. Off to the distance on either side there were what looked like more of the stunted bushes that she had noticed upon her arrival. Other than that, nothing of note could be seen.

Ginny wondered what Harry had been so keen on showing her in the featureless landscape but she knew that she'd just have to wait.

With nothing to see around her she turned her focus back onto Harry. She looked appraisingly at him. When she had first seen him he had looked like a very small boy of about 5 or 6. If she had to say how old he appeared now, her guess would be closer to 8 or 9.

Though obviously taller than when she had first encountered him, he was still a bit shorter than she was. This caused her to smile slightly as she knew she wasn't tall by any means.

She smiled softly as she felt Harry's hand in hers, surprised that he had held on for so long, not that she was complaining.

They had been walking at a leisurely pace and Ginny was taken a little by surprise when Harry slowed even more, finally coming to a stop. He turned and looked at her with a piercing gaze that seemed to look deep into her soul.

Ginny found she was holding her breath at the intensity of his gaze and she found her heart racing though she couldn't understand why. Just when she thought she couldn't stand it any longer, Harry broke eye contact and stared off into the distance.

"Before I show you what I want to, I think we need to have a talk," Harry said softly to her.

"Okay, Harry," Ginny replied quietly. Though she was a bit concerned, she knew in her heart that this was something that needed to be done to rectify what had happened.

Harry just nodded and led her over to a small bench that Ginny swore wasn't there a moment ago.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Molly Weasley was beside herself with worry. She had received a message from Albus Dumbledore saying that he needed to speak to her and Arthur about Ginny.

At first she had wondered what her daughter had gotten up to, but the longer she had sat and worried about it, the more frantic she became. She had finally succumbed to her nervous agitation and was now pacing frantically back and forth, glancing at the clock every few moments trying to wish it would speed up so that Arthur would arrive home and then they could get to Hogwarts to find out what was happening.

She finally heard the whoosh of the Floo and she hurried in from the kitchen to see her husband brushing himself off.

Without looking he said, "Hello, my dear. What's for dinner?"

"Dinner?!" she screeched. "How can you be thinking about dinner at a time like this?"

With a startled look at his wife, he paused and let out a deep sigh. It appeared that dinner would be delayed for some time.

"Please calm down and tell me what's going on," he stated calmly.

With a somewhat wild-eyed look she stammered "Dumbledore . . . Ginny . . . Letter . . ."

Seeing as he wasn't getting a coherent answer from Molly, he simple stuck out his hand and waited.

It took a moment as she fumbled in her apron pocket, but she managed to extract the message and handed it over to her husband.

Scanning the brief message he looked at his distraught wife and sighed once again.

"Really, my dear. What has gotten you into such a state. Albus merely asked us to stop by this evening to discuss something pertaining to Ginny," he said evenly.

Though she had calmed somewhat, Molly appeared to be on the verge of tears as she said, "We've never been called to do something like this before with any of the children. What could be so terribly wrong that he wrote to us for Ginny?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, recalling the numerous letters that they had received during the years that their boys had attended Hogwarts. He could recall letters and meetings concerning every one of their sons, with the only exception being Percy and that made him wonder where they had gone wrong with him.

"Why don't you get your cloak and we'll see what Albus wants," he said, motioning her towards the kitchen.

As she turned and left, he quietly followed and as her back was turned as she grabbed her cloak, Arthur pulled his wand and softly cast a calming spell.

He noticed Molly tense for a moment and he feared that she would turn and lambaste him for doing so. He was quite shocked when she continued to reach for her cloak instead. He was doubly shocked when she said quietly, "Thank you dear."

Breathing a sigh of relief, he muttered "Your welcome."

Within moments she had rejoined him in the parlour and without hesitation, they flooed away to Hogwarts.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Ginny sat down and was surprised when as Harry sat next to her, instead of releasing her hand, he placed his free hand on top of hers, holding it now in both of his.

He remained silent for several moments, still looking at her intently. Ginny remained silent also, being patient, knowing that this was Harry's idea and she needed him to do it however he saw fit.

Harry eventually looked down where their hands lay clasped together but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't seeing them. He had a faraway look that spoke of deep thought.

They sat there in complete silence, no sound emanated from their surroundings, so quiet that all she could hear was the beating of her heart.

Finally Harry began to speak in a flat monotone voice, always looking off to that which she could not see.

As she listened she couldn't stop the tears that sprang to her eyes and silently rolled down her cheeks. Her breathing became ragged and she had to fight down the sobs that threatened to burst forth, but she kept them in, not wanting to miss a single thing that Harry said.

She listened for an interminable amount of time as Harry poured out the story of his childhood, growing up in a house unloved and despised for who and what he was.

Ginny felt as if a huge vise was clamped around her heart and squeezing it as hard as could be. She found it difficult to breathe and she couldn't comprehend how something that was purely emotional could cause her such physical pain.

She had shut her eyes as the pain had built and she became aware that Harry had fallen silent. It was then the sobs she had been holding in finally burst forth.

She was only dimly aware as Harry wrapped his arms around her and slowly and hesitantly drew her into himself. She, who had grown up in a house so full of love, found it incomprehensible that someone would ever treat another human being with such total disregard and hate.

She had no idea how long she had sat there, being comforted by the very one who had to endure what she considered unendurable. Not only enduring it, but turning out to be the most wonderful, giving, kind person she had ever met.

Finally the tears stopped and her breathing eased as she felt the warmth and comfort fill her from the one who held her. Fearing to look up, she kept her face buried in his chest and said softly "I'm so sorry for what I said." Her breath catching in her throat, the tears threatening to start again.

A new feeling sprang up within her, Shame. Never before had she felt so ashamed of herself and her actions than she did at that moment. She wondered how in the world Harry could sit there and comfort her with the way she had reacted and she felt that there was no way that Harry would ever see it in his heart to forgive her. That made her feel even worse than she had before.

She then felt a hand under her chin, gently pressing upward, making her raise her head. As her head came up she found herself staring into two amazingly bright emerald eyes. Eyes that didn't hold any contempt for her, eyes that only held concern, compassion and understanding.

Ginny's mind was racing, a maelstrom of disjointed and chaotic thoughts. She felt she should say something but she couldn't figure out what that should be. Her mouth opened and closed several times as she attempted to put her jumbled thoughts into words.

Gently Harry reached to her and put a finger on her lips and with a small smile he shook his head. "You don't need to say anything," he said softly.

Ginny gave him a weak smile in return and then nodded. She knew nothing she could say would make any difference at the moment. It was as if he understood what she was feeling.

Rising to his feet, he gently tugged on Ginny's hand, urging her to her feet also. "Come on Ginny, time to see what I want to show you."

Ginny was shocked, he had called her by name for the first time since she had arrived. As she stood she noticed that he was now almost as tall as she was, shorter by no more than an inch now.

With the gentle urging of his one hand on her back and the other firmly holding hers, he led her forward in the direction they had been travelling.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

Molly and Arthur sat in the Headmaster's office taking in all that Dumbledore had explained to them, as little as that was.

"So you're saying that Ginny saved Harry's life?" Molly asked, puzzled.

"That's correct,' Albus replied calmly.

"But why can't I see her then?" the distraught Molly asked.

Albus sighed, "I'm not saying you can't but I think it is unwise at this moment."

"What aren't you telling us," Arthur asked pointedly.

The twinkle was long lost from the Headmaster's eyes. He leaned back in his chair and said resignedly, "With all that has happened we felt it was better to leave them together."

It took a moment, but a light of comprehension came into Molly's eyes. They widened in shock and she yelled "You mean that they are still together? In the hospital, in . . . bed?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the Headmaster replied, "Yes."

"I demand to see Ginny this instant," Molly said indignantly.

With a look of resignation Albus said "If you insist."

Molly was instantly on her feet and out the door before Dumbledore got to his feet. Arthur gave him a sympathetic shrug and turned and followed Molly, with Dumbledore following at a distance.

By the time he arrived at the Hospital Wing, Molly was already trying to push through the wards that had been placed to prevent her from interfering with Harry and Ginny.

The distraught woman turned and with fire in her eyes screeched "Why are they in bed together and why can't I get to my daughter?"

Poppy turned towards Albus and with a disapproving look that clearly said "I'll let you handle this one," she turned and returned to her office.

Arthur had moved to his wife's side and was trying to calm her, but she was having none of that. She fixed her gaze on the Headmaster, silently demanding answers.

Albus took a deep, calming breath. "As I explained in my office, with the ancient magic Ginny invoked, we felt it wiser to leave them together for the moment. I believe that at least Harry's life depends on it at the moment."

Molly's look softened somewhat but her anger didn't disappear entirely. "But she's just a young girl," Molly said in a pleading tone.

Over her shoulder, Dumbledore saw Arthur gie him a wan smile and a sympathetic shrug. Albus knew he was in for a long evening.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

As they strolled forward Ginny glanced at Harry, noticing that he seemed both excited but also a bit apprehensive.

Harry noticed Ginny looking at him and he gave her a nervous smile in return. "Almost there," he said softly.

Ginny nodded and wondered what was making Harry so nervous but didn't press him on it. She knew in her heart that she needed Harry to continue to do things his way.

Ginny let her mind wander back to their leaving the bench when he had called her by name and wondered how that fit into everything that was happening. She could draw no conclusions other than it made her happy that he now seemed to recognize her for who she was and maybe, just maybe that their strange predicament would be coming to an end.

It was only a few moments more before Harry came to a stop. So intent was her gaze on him she hadn't even noticed the change in the landscape. Her eyes were locked on Harry's when they stopped.

Harry's eyes looked deep inside her and for some unknown reason she felt herself blushing. If Harry had noticed, he gave no sign. He just held her gaze for a moment, then took a deep breath and exhaled nervously.

Ginny then saw his eyes look away from her and towards the scene to their front. "Well what do you think?" he said quietly.

Ginny's eyes followed Harry's and she looked out in front where his now focused.

Ginny's eyes widened in shock and it took her a moment to gather her thought, not believing what she was seeing. "Oh Harry . . ." she said breathlessly.

**HP + GW XX HP + GW**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and don't you just love a good cliffie? I know I do.**

**As always please leave a review if you are so inclined. **


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